Twelve Decisions that Will Impact Your First Year in College and Beyond, Part II

During my first year at the University of Chicago, my close friends and I made innumerable decisions. Some were beneficial; others disastrous. Should I dye my hair purple? Should I minor in Physics? Should I write a romance novel in one month?

These last six tips stem from the myriad decisions we made, the six that really matter for just about everyone in the spring and summer.

Spring

1. Take a Risk in Course Selection

By now, you've successfully adjusted to a succession of problem sets, essays, exams, and 2:00 am trips to the local convenience store. You've discovered the fabled "zone." It's time to take a risk in course selection.

Circumstance forced me to do this last year. I had completed all of the language-oriented French courses, so I was about to start literature-based classes. As fate would have it, the only French literature course that fit with the rest of my schedule was the most advanced one in the department, taught by a visiting professor from the most elite university in France. Yeah. I hesitantly emailed her to ask if I could handle the course. She encouraged me to try, and, before I knew it, I was immersed in the incredibly intriguing works of Gide, Valery, and Sartre. While I occasionally misinterpreted readings or made comments that must have seemed like pure buffoonery to the graduate students in the room, a combination of sincere interest and diligent questioning secured me a solid knowledge of 20^th-century French essayists and an A in the course. Whether your schedule confines your options or not, get out of your comfort zone soon after you've developed a comfort zone. In this way, you'll be constantly elevating your skills in whatever field you choose to pursue.

2. Take Risks on Familiar Assignments

Of course, you're not going to take exclusively risky courses. In the courses that have become the staples of your life, try taking risks on familiar assignments. Content-wise, this could mean incorporating knowledge from other courses or sources that have contributed significantly to your life (the family, newspapers, blogs, authors, songwriters whose ideas you see on a daily basis) into your writing assignments. Following the instructor's guidelines shouldn't prevent you from bringing your perspective to the assignment. If anything, a deep and thorough understanding of an issue through comparison or contrast is likely to impress him or her. Stylistically, this is also the time to experiment and develop a stronger voice in writing, a trademark that will define the more serious writing you do in the future.

3. Take Advantage of the Second Wave of Job/Internship Postings

Especially as a first year college student, it's easy to become demoralized about job and internship prospects when your wintertime applications fall flat. Facing the initial shock of not being invited to interview even (despite your 3.8 GPA) is tough. But don't count yourself as a failure just yet! Stay on the lookout for new summer job and internship postings that crop up periodically on your school's career connections website through the end of May. Look into the word choice, formatting, and emphasis mistakes that could have hurt your earlier applications with your advisor, career counselor, resident head/assistant, or experienced friend. Then, apply what you've learned to the next round. The more you search, the more likely it is that you'll find the opportunity most perfectly suited to you, the opportunity you're most likely to clinch in spite of your lack of seniority.

Summer

1. Try Summer Courses

If your job or internship falls through, think about taking a course or two during the summer. In high school, summer school is considered only for the perennial underachievers. In college, it's a great option for students who want to diversify their studies, get ahead in a specific subject, or fulfill core requirements.

I decided to take a summer biology course to finish up a core requirement. That way, I'd have enough space in my schedule to start Chinese in the fall. Out of this purely pragmatic course strategizing, came a new passion. The course focused on pathology and immunology. I loved it. Now I'm working on incorporating more biology courses into my International Studies major. The middle ground between the fields, public health policy, is increasingly becoming salient as the H1N1 flu and other emerging diseases make their appearance. The takeaway: in college, summer school is by no means an odious, onerous task - it's an opportunity to receive unexpected blessings.

2. Or Study Abroad

Study abroad has a similar accelerating effect. It allows you to immerse yourself in a foreign language and culture to an unparalleled extent.

With one summer in Beijing under her belt, a friend of mine was prepared to skip a year's worth of Chinese language courses, and learn advanced business or classical terminology and syntax. It also gave her an in-depth understanding of the local culture, especially political and social dynamics among the nation's youth. Most likely, you've already experienced getting away from home once to go to college. Take it to the next level with study abroad. By definition, the further you exit your comfort zone, the broader your knowledge of the world will be!

3. Get caught up on what you missed during the schoolyear... it may come in handy when the next schoolyear starts.

But everyone needs some downtime... and downtime doesn't necessarily mean sleep.

A good chunk of my major centers around public policy, the issues of the now. Yet, between having a challenging schedule and not having a TV, I missed out on several major world events during the springtime. This summer, I've enjoyed filling my downtime days with MSNBC coverage, the New York Times, and Aung San Suu Kyi's writings. In addition to absorbing as much as I can, my summer news-fest has inspired me to apply for a position at the University of Chicago Maroon. Final lesson: Don't be disappointed if you end up with a lazy summer - just enjoy that productive downtime!